Make It Count Monday - Vol. 12

Written and published on December 10th, 2012. Archived to previous year. 

A link-up of Goals and Accomplishments!

Evaluation from last week: Okay, so Christmas cards are (mostly-ish) addressed and in the mail. Do you see why it usually takes me until February to get these things done? Three weeks running it has been my goal to get these puppies done and I'm still dragging it out. But they will be finished before Christmas this year. They will be! I did get cracking on the reading corner, though...made a few adjustments to the plan that will make it even better--just waiting on some materials now!

~MOTIVATION~ 

What did I accomplish last week?

First of all, I clearly did not accomplish getting around to the rest of you lovely linker ladies' blogs last week! Sorry! So I'm planning on catching up this week on my reading to see all the awesome ways you made it count! As for what I did accomplish, I updated about a million addresses during the Christmas Card extravaganza (not really a million, but it felt like it!), worked on the reading corner and learned wayyy more about upholstery foam than I ever though would be possible, spent time with my husband's grandfather during his nursing home Christmas party, and got some quality time in with the kids driving around and looking at Christmas lights. Over the weekend I cheered on my Army team (only to witness another utterly crushing defeat) and figured out how to clean lipstick off of the fireplace grate...that one was a team effort. (It also confirmed the fact that we'd rather have a three-year-old decorate the house with a pencil than a tube of lipstick). And finally, I got some shopping done and attempted a few Pinterest projects that were complete disastrous failures. Time to figure out a Plan B for those would-be Christmas gifts!

~DIRECTION~

What's my goal for this week?

1. Support my daughter better in new situations (starting with her Christmas program tonight). One of the main reasons we decided to start pre-school this year was for socialization. She does great with the academic stuff, but we noticed after her first stint at Vacation Bible School this summer that she was the only child sitting on the bench with her hands over her ears while the rest of the children happily sung the songs they had learned. She's gotten much better over the course of the school year but is still very shy when it comes to participating or performing when she knows that any sort of attention is being placed on her. During her Thanksgiving party, she spent the whole time looking over her shoulder while the other kids sang so she wouldn't have to see the parents watching her. I know she gets it from me, because I was painfully shy a kid (and still am as an adult in some situations). And honestly, I want her to be able to be herself, so if she's cool not being the loudest singer out there, I'm cool with that too. But I also want her to to be as comfortable as possible within the constraints of her personality. Most of the time that involves preparing her ahead of time--explaining what to expect and practicing with her and helping her get excited about new situations. I've already been working on that. But I'd like to get better at focusing not just on the excitement, but reinforcing that she's wonderful just as she is, because the personality God gave her is the one she'll soon use to change the world around her. So this week I'd like to cultivate her strengths, make her feel safe even in her shyness, and be sure she knows she's loved for the wonderful little person she is!
2. Christmas gifts. And yes, those Christmas cards...

~ACCOUNTABILITY~

What steps will I take to move toward that goal?

1. I'll be taking some extra time today to talk to my little girl about her Christmas program tonight, and later this week I'm planning an activity with just the two of us (while her brothers nap) so we can have some quality time to make her feel extra special.
2. Still racking my brain for a Plan B on those Christmas gifts. Any suggestions for non-edible DIY projects are welcome...at this point I need the so-easy-a-caveman-could-do-it-version!

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN!

Comment below to share your own MOTIVATION, DIRECTION, and ACCOUNTABILITY for the week! Or link up below to host your own Make It Count Monday--grab the badge on the sidebar if you'd like, and don't forget to link back here to Positively (Im)Perfect so we can visit and encourage you!